The Lib Dems’ big let-down

THE Liberal Democrats’ promised ‘fightback’ ran into the sand yesterday as the party lost 42 of its council seats.

The party’s hoped-for surge failed to materialise in its former south-west heartlands, with grandee Sir Vince Cable admitting there had been no ‘spectacular breakthrough’.

Party insiders dismissed the blow and said an increase in its vote share put it on course to treble its Commons seats from nine to 27 on June 8.

But the fall in the number of local seats across central and eastern England and Scotland has tempered claims the party will emerge as a genuine opposition to Theresa May.

Former business secretary Sir Vince said the local election results had been ‘neutral’ for his party. ‘We’re in a relatively encouraging position, though there hasn’t been a spectacular breakthrough,’ he said.

He said the areas where the Lib Dems had done ‘exceptionally well’ were where they hoped to win back seats in the general election. That included Cheltenham, Eastleigh in Hampshire and Wells in Somerset, he said. But in Cardiff, where the party hoped to take control of the council, it lost seven seats.

Despite the results Lib Dem leader Tim Farron urged voters to prevent a ‘coronation’ for Mrs May, saying only the Lib Dems stood in the way of a ‘oneparty state’.

Speaking in St Albans, Hertfordshire, he said Labour is ‘utterly imploding and devastated like no other opposition party in recent memory’.

But his party came under fire last night after pledging to raise taxes for 30million people.

Mr Farron said he would put 1p on income tax to fund a £ billion-a-year cash injection for the NHS and social care.

Financial Secretary to the Treasury Jane Ellison, said: ‘Now we know a vote for anyone other than Theresa May means you will pay more tax.’